Sewing machine



u March 18,1941; M; L.. WATERMAN SEWING MACHINE Filed Dec. 1G, 195s 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Mardi 18, 1941. M, L. WATERMAN 2,235,753

SEWING MACHINE Filed Deo. 1s. 195s 2 Sheen-sheet 2 mienne/1J PatentedMar. 18, 1941x UNITED `STATES SEWING MACHINE Max L. Waterman, Fairield,Conn., assigner to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., acorporation of New Jersey Application December 16, 1936, Serial No.116,078

8 Claims.v (Cl. 112-54) rll'his invention relates .to improvements insewing machines and has for its primary object to provide means foreffecting the production chf stitched seams closely simulating so-calledmoccasin seams.

The invention consists in the combination, with the stitch-forming andwork-feeding mechanisms of a sewing machine, of bead-forming and scoringdevices as hereinafter described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention and in which-Fig. 1 is a front side elevation, ,partly in section, of a portion of asewing machine containing the present improvement.` Fig. 2 is a frontend elevation of the bracket-arm head oi the sewing machine. with theface-plate partly broken away and the throat-plate and drop-feedmechanism illustrated fragmentarily. Fig. 3 represents a horizontalsection ofthe bracket-arm head, taken substantially on the line 3--3 ofFig. 2. Fig. 4 represents, in perspective, the throat-plate andbead-scoring knife in the cooperative relation of the knife and abead-forming rib or finger upon the throat-plate. Fig. 5 represents invertical section the throat-plate, the work thereupon, the feedingelements and the bead-scoring knife, the section being takensubstantially in the vertical plate containing the two needles. Fig. 6Irepresents a perspective view of the presser-foot. `Fig. 'I represents,in perspective, a fragmentary representation oi a shoe-vamp providedwith the improved imitation mo ccasin seam.

Referring .to the drawings, the present invention is illustrated asembodied in a sewing machine having a frame comprising a bed-plate I anda hollow bracket-arm 2 overhanging the bedplate, the bracket-arm 2terminating at its free end in a head 3 to which a face-plate 4 isdetachably secured byascrew 5. Rotatably journaled in the bracket-arm 2is the mainactuating shaft 6 of the machine, said shaft carrying at oneend a crank-disc 1 connected by the usual link 8 with a verticallyreciprocatory needle-bar 9 journaled in the head 3. `At its lower end,.the needle-bar 9 carries a pair of needles Inpreferably disposedabreast with respect to the line of feed of the work. Cooperating withboth of the needles I0 is a rotary shuttle Il disposed atthe undersideof the bedplate I, said shuttle rotating in a vertical-plane transverseto the line of feed and functioning to seize both of the thread-loopspresented by the two needles and to carry said thread-loops,

about a mass of under-thread within a threadcase I2. As thestitch-forming mechanism re- -anism which may be of any usualAcharacter.

ferred to is well known in the art, a detailed description thereof isdeemed unessential to an understanding of the present invention.Suitably secured upon the bed-plate I is a throat-plate i3 provided withfeed slots I4, and 5 with a needle-slot I5 which is elongatedtransversely of the line of feed and is entered by both of the needlesl0., Operating through the feedslots I4 is the feed-dog I5 ofa drop-feedmechor suitable 10 Opposed to the feed-dog IB'is an alternatingpressermechanism including an upper feedingfoot I1 and a presser-foot I8. Thefeeding-foot I1 is forked to provide laterally spaced Work-en- 15 gagingmembers I1' and I1 disposed outside of the needles, said feeding footbeing adjustably secured by a screw I9 to the lower end of a verticallydisposed feed-bar 20. Adjacent its upper end, the feed-bar 20 ispivotally secured by a 20 screw 2l to one arm 22 of `a bell-crank leverV22, 23, said lever being iulcrumed upon a screw 24 threadedhorizontally into an arm 25 extending laterally from a collar 26suitably secured upon a presser-bar 21. The other arm 23 of said bell-25 crank lever is connected by a link 28 Ito a crankarm 29 carried bythe crank-disk 1. A spring 30 has one` end connected te the lever-arm 23and its other end to an extension of the feed-bar 20 above thepivot-screw 2 I, said spring 30 function- 30 lng to eilect returnswinging movements of the feed-bar 20 when the feeding-foot I1 is liftedclear of the Work. The return swinging movements of the feed-bar 20,under the inuence of the spring 30, are limited by an angular stop- 35plate 3l adjustably secured by screws 32 upon a collar 33 xed upon thepresser-bar 21.

The presser-foot I8 is secured to the. lower end of the presser-bar 21in the-usual manner, said, presser-bar being journaled in the head 34for 40 vertical movement and being yieldingly depressed by a spring 34.The alternating-presser mechanlsm described operates in a manner wellknown in the ant, it being understood that the presserfoot I8 holds thework against movement during 45 the return movement of the feeding footI1, and that said presser-footis liftedv clear of the work when thefeeding foot is lowered into engagement with the work.

The presser-foot I8 is bifurcated .to provide 50 laterally spacedWork-engaging members I8 and I8, affording a clearance therebetween-forthe work-bead and for the bead-scoring knife hereinafter described.Thework-engaging members of the presser-foot I8 are disposed between the55 feeding-footmembers I1' and-I1", said presser- I' foot members havingneedle-apertures 35 alined with needle-clearance grooves 36 in theopposed side faces of the presser-foot members.

Rising from the throat-plate I3, in front of the needle slot I5 therein,is a bead-forming rib 31 disposed medianly between and spaced from thpresser-foot members I 8', I8", said rib having its rearward end alsospaced from the throatplate to overhang the needle-slot I5. The crest ofthe rib 31 extends lengthwise in the line of feed of .the work and ispreferably inclined upwardly from the front end thereof, thereby togradually form a ridge or bead in the work as it is advanced to theneedles, it. being understood that "the verticallyreciprocatorypresser-foot I8 coacts with the rib 31 to ridge the workand thereby form a bead therein.

Preferably opposed to the crest of the rib 31 and spaced slightly abovesaid crest is the lower end of a bead-scoring knife-blade 38 dependingfrom a rearward extension 39 of the knife-shank 40, the lower orpoint-end of the knife-blade 38 being provided with a cutting edgeparallel to the rib 31. 'Ihe shank 40 of the bead-scoring Aknife issecured by screws 4I to the lower end of a knife-bar 42 confined toendwise vertical movement by opposed guide-walls formed in the bracketarm head 3 and the face-plate 4, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of thedrawings. The lower end of the knife-bar 42 is preferably additionallysteadied against lateral movement by a suitably recessed guide-bar 43extending forwardly from a collar 44 fastened upon the presser-bar 21.Adjustably, secured upon the upper end of the knifebar 42 is astop-collar 45 which limits downward movement of the knife-bar under theaction of a spring 46 of which one end is connected to the knife-bar andthe other end to the machine frame.

Between its ends, the knife-bar 42 is formed with a shoulder 41, andbelow this shoulder is disposed an ear 48 bent laterally from athreadtension releasing member 49. As usual, the member 49 is secured byscrews 50 to a collar 5I slidably embracing the presser-bar 21, saidcollar having a laterally extending arm 52 disposed between the usualpresser-bar lifter-arm 53 and the manually operable lifter-lever 54 uponthe machine head 4. Consequently, the knife 38 may be shifted out of theoperative position thereof by actuation of the manually operablelifter-lever 53.

While also adapted for other purposes, the present improvement isparticularly useful in making imitation moccasin seamsin shoe Vamps, afinished seam as produced by the means above described being illustratedin Fig. '1 of the drawings, in which A represents the body material suchas a shoe-Vamp; B, the bead; C, the score cut into the crest of the beadB; S, the two needle-threads penetrating the shoe-vamp at opposite sidesof the bead B; and S', the shuttlethread concatenated with both of theneedlethreads S.

When forming the seam, the body material A passes over the throat-platerib 31, the presserfoot being raised clear of the work during theadvancing movement thereof effected by the combined action of thefeed-dog I6 and the feeding-foot members I1', I1". The scoringknife 38isjnormally so disposed that its spacing from the crest of the rib 31 isless than the thickness of the body material A and, consequently, a thinslit is progressively cut into the upper face of the body material A asit is intermittently advanced.l Each advancing movement of the work issucceeded by a downward work-clamping movement of the presser-foot I8,thereby bending the work about the rib 31 and forming a ridge or beadtherein. This bending of the work is facilitated by the slit or scorecut into the upper face of the work, the slit or score opening up-toaccommodate the sharp bending of the work. The needles descend atopposite sides of and closely adjacent to the rib 31 while the work isclamped by the presser-foot, and the concatenation of the twoneedle-thread loops below the work by the shuttle thread S' secures theridged work so as to maintain theV previously formed bead. It will benoted that the opened score C in the bead closely simulates the upturnededges of a moccasin seam and while it is preferred to arrange the cutterso as to be opposed to the crest of the rib 31 to score the work at thepoint where it is ridged, it will be obvious that the cutter may bedisposed in front of said rib to score the work preparatory to but inthe bead-forming operation.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention what I claim hereinis:

1. In a sewing machine, a work-support, work-feeding means,stitch-forming mechanism including a pair of vertically reciprocatoryneedles spaced laterally of the line of feed of the work,A aridge-forming rib disposed upon said work-support between the paths ofreciprocation of said needles and extending in the line of feed,

a work-presser opposed to said work-support at.

opposite sides of said rib, and a ridge-scoring knife having its cuttingedge opposed to and spaced from the crest of said rib.

2. In a sewing machine, a work-support, work- Y feeding means, aridge-forming rib disposed upon said work-support, a work-presseropposed to said work-support at opposite sides of saidrib, means forprogressively cutting the crest of the work-ridge lengthwise thereof,and mechanism for forming stitches disposed to maintain substantiallythe form of the work-ridge.

3. In a sewing machine, a work-support, workfeeding means, aridge-forming rib disposed upon said work-support, a Work presseropposed to said work-support at opposite sides of said rib, means forprogressively cutting the crest of the workridge lengthwise thereofincluding a knife having its cutting edge opposed to and spaced from thecrest of said rib, and mechanism for forming stitches disposed tomaintain substantially the form of the work-ridge.

4. In a sewing machine, a work-support, workfeeding means, a pair ofreciprocatory needles, a loop-taker cooperating with said needles in theformation of stitches, a ridge-forming rib disposed upon saidwork-support between the paths of reciprocation of said needles, awork-presser opposed to said work-support at'opposite sides of said rib,and a ridge-scoring knife having its cutting edge opposed to and spacedfrom the crest of said rib.

5. In a sewing machine, work-feeding means, a work-support including athroat-plate provided with a needle-slot elongated transversely of theline of feed, a pair of reciprocatory needles operating through saidneedle-slot, a looptaker cooperating with said needles in the formationof stitches, a ridge-forming rib upon said work-support and overhangingsaid needle-slot between the paths of reciprocation of said needles, awork-presser opposed to said work-sup- 20 presser away 'from saidwork-support, cutting port at `opposite sides of said rib, and cuttingmeans adapted to progressively score the work in the portion thereofforming the crest of the work-ridge.

6. In a sewing machine, a work-support, workfeeding means, aridge-forming rib disposed upon said work-support, a work-presseropposed to' said Work-support at opposite sides of said rib, aridgescoring knife opposed to and spaced from the crest of said rib,adjustable means for varymeans effective in an operative positionthereof to progressively score the work in the portion forming the crestof the work-ridge, operative connections for retracting said cuttingmeans from its operative position upon actuation of said manuallyoperable means, and mechanism for forming stitches disposed with respectto said work-ridge to maintain substantially the form thereof.

8. In a sewing machine, a work-support, workfeeding means, aridge-forming rib disposed upon said work-support, a work-presseropposed to said work-support, means for reciprocating said work-pressertoward and from said 'Work-support, cutting means effective to score thework in the portion thereof forming the crest of the workridge, andmechanism for forming stitches disposed `with respect to said work-ridgeto maintain substantially the form thereof.

- MAX L. WATERMAN.

